Burns focused on retaining belt rather than delivering knockout blow against Cook

Ricky Burns will be happy to beat Nicky Cook 'by any means necessary' at Liverpool's Echo Arena on Saturday - but is confident he can produce a crowd-pleasing performance in doing so.

Burns' clash with Cook is his third defence of the WBO super-featherweight title he won from Roman Martinez in September last year, and the Scot (31-2, 8 KOs) is yet to deliver a knockout as world champion.

Given the profile of this weekend's contest, it would appear the perfect time to put that right, but Burns' primary focus is on retaining the belt.

Champion: Ricky Burns is bidding to defend his WBO super featherweight title against Nicky Cook

'You find when you go out looking for a knockout it never happens, so my attitude is that I just want to get in there and win by any means necessary,' Burns said.

'Whether you look good or you look bad, so long as you come out and you've got that belt coming home with you in the car, that is the main thing.'

The 28-year-old is wary of trying too hard to impress on the big stage, although he remains conscious of what an attention-grabbing display could do for his career and the need to give watching fans their money's worth.

'It is important, but I try not to look at it that way,' Burns said.

'I knew when they said I was boxing in Liverpool that it was to try to raise my profile down south.

'Everybody in Scotland knows who I am but I am maybe not as well known in England.

Comeback trail: Nicky Cook (left) lost his WBO belt two years ago

'This is a chance for me now to get my name out there, but sometimes when you look about like that, you are putting pressure on yourself to go out there and look good, and sometimes it doesn't happen.

'If I go out there and just do what I have been doing in the gym, people are in for a good night's boxing.'

It was reported earlier this week that Burns' manager Alex Morrison had made an official protest against the appointment of Englishman Terry O'Connor as one of the judges for Saturday's bout.

Morrison has been unhappy with O'Connor's decision making in past fights, but Burns is not letting the matter trouble him.

'We got told the other day that it is three English judges and an English referee as well, but it is up to me to take it out of the referee's hands,' Burns said.

'I think it will be a fair fight - a tough fight, but I do see myself wearing Nicky down in the later rounds.'

Cook - who did not attend the head-to-head press conference in Liverpool - will be fighting for only the second time since losing the WBO belt to Martinez in March 2009.

The 31-year-old from Essex (30-2, 16 KOs) then moved to Tenerife and did not take part in another professional contest until securing a six-round points victory over Youssef Al Hamidi in London on May 21.

The major attraction on Saturday's undercard is the much-anticipated battle between John Murray and Kevin Mitchell, while Liverpool's Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion Tony Bellew faces a rematch against Ovill McKenzie with the vacant British belt also at stake and Birmingham City fan Frankie Gavin defends his WBO Intercontinental welterweight crown against former Blues player Curtis Woodhouse.